Index

"Background Vocals" are those that are not the main artist – often just heard chanting

in unison or harmony, singing the “hook’” or simply ooohs, aaahs, or yeah-yeah’s to embellish the chorus of the song. Some producers call upon a select few favorite singers - usually a group of three - and just let them "do their thing.”

The first thing to remember, in all likelihood the background singers are better singers than the lead vocalist. Now, if the lead singer is Aretha Franklin or Tony Bennett, then that might not be true, but Aretha and Tony don't record every day, so it is true most of the year. This is a big strain on the background singers, because they have to make some-one sound good who perhaps has the vocal ability of a toad, (usually with big breasts, signed to a major record company, a powerful manager and a smart lawyer.)

and producers, Charlie Colello, Don Costa, Connie Francis, Frankie Valli, Patty Duke, Frankie Lymon, Kitty Kallen and most notably with Frankie Valli, and Lou Christie, including his #1 Hit "Lightning Strikes.”

“We had great timing,” Denise recalls, “and had a lot of energy -- harmony came naturally to us. We sounded great with Frankie Valli and Lou Christie, because somehow we had the ability to take on the tone of their voice, which resulted in a great, strong sound. I love singing, and I especially loved being a "back-up singer"

Producer Charles Calello confirms the special feel of these sessions: “Whenever Peggy, Denise and Bernadette showed up the guys went wild. They were three stereo-typical Jersey Girls - and "hot" looking too.”

In the mid-60s, both Bernadette and Peg toured as a member of the Angels; Denise remained an in-demand session singer. (East Coast listeners will recall her long-running Shop-Rite “Can-Can” jingle.)

West Coast, Jackie Ward Widely regarded as a "one-hit wonder" due to her 1963 million-selling single record "A Wonderful Summer," Robin Ward was also a session singer (under her real name, Jackie Ward) backing up dozens of major recording artists, including Jimmie Rodgers, Pat Boone, Frank Sinatra, Gordon Lightfoot, The Carpenters, Cass Elliott, Joan Baez and Barbra Streisand on "Stoney End.”

“You got your session fee - period. It may be the biggest song ever, but you didn’t get royalties. I recorded with Barbra Streisand on "Stony End,” her first major pop chart success.

It was a monster hit and the background singers were a vital part of that song and contributed a great deal to the sound of the record. But we didn’t get anything other than the session fee. That’s what studio singers did. We worked every day. When the recording industry was jumping for studio singers back then, it would not be uncommon to have 2 or 3 sessions a day. By her own estimate, Jackie Ward's voice can be heard in "maybe 800" films. “I did so many movies I can’t even count them!” Some of the more notable instances include her voice being dubbed over Natalie Wood's "singing" in The Great Race and Inside Daisy Clover, for Janet Leigh in American Dream, and Cindy Bear in Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!.

For much of the mid 1960s, Jackie was a member of the Ray Conniff Singers, an ensemble that is most remembered for their 1966 hit, "Somewhere My Love," from Doctor Zhivago and the Grammy-winning Anita Kerr Singers ("A House Is Not a Home.")

-- Contributions from Ted Perlman and Ken Charmer

In mid-50s Los Angeles, the Playgirls (Left) were the in-demand session singers for such artists as Shelly Fabares, Dick Dale and Elvis Presley.

Phil Spector recorded and molded the Playgirls into his very own girl group, the Blossoms featuring a new lead singer named Darlene Love. They also recorded as the Crystals, and Bob B.Soxx & the Bluejeans..

The main feature about background vocals is that they should not attract attention, but support the lead vocal. So quite often you can listen to a track and not be aware of them. But they are in fact a key component of modern production style.

Many great stars have once been session singers. Cher was a background vocalist on the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling". Dionne Warwick was discovered by Burt Bacharach singing on a Drifter’s Session. Martha Wash, Patty Austin, Darlene Love, Sheryl Crow, Whitney Houston, Kenny Rogers, Phil Collins, Vince Gill and Regina Bell were all one-time session singers. In “Dreamgirls” the three Dreamettes start out as background singers -- in real-life, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas filled that chore at Motown.

Background singers secret complaints

1."I can't hear myself in the headphones"

2."It's too hot in here"

3."It's too cold in here"

4."I need some water"

5."I need some hot tea"

6."I need some reverb in the phones"

7."I need less reverb in the phones"

8."I hate these phones"